Cristian Romero has appeared to criticise the Tottenham Hotspur hierarchy, accusing “other people” at the club of not speaking out during their poor run of form and telling a “few lies” when things were going better on the pitch.
The club captain posted on social media after the north London side’s 3-2 defeat against Bournemouth on Wednesday, apologising to the fans but saying that others, who “only show up when things are going well” should be publicly facing up to the situation. The statement has since been altered and no longer mentions “lies”.
“Apologies to all fans of you who follow us everywhere, who are always there and will continue to be,” Romero said via Instagram. “We are responsible, there’s no doubt about that.
“I am the first. But we will keep facing up to it and trying to turn the situation around, for ourselves and for the club. At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don’t as has been happening for several years now.
“They only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies. We’ll stay here, working, sticking together and giving our all to turn things around. Especially at times like this, keeping quiet, working harder and moving forward all together, is part of football. All together, it will be easier.”
Head coach Thomas Frank is expected to address Romero’s comments in a news conference later on Thursday.
Tottenham scored after five minutes against Bournemouth on Wednesday to go ahead, but conceded three times — including an extra-time winner — as the visitors ended their 11-game winless run.
The loss means the north London club are winless in their last three games, having previously drawn to Brentford and Sunderland, and sit 14th in the Premier League, seven points away from Liverpool in fourth.
Romero signed a new four-year deal in August to keep him at Tottenham until 2029 after being awarded captaincy by Frank in the summer. The 27-year-old has been at the club since joining from Atalanta for €55million (£47.4m; $64.3m at current rates) in 2021, initially on a loan deal.
‘It speaks to the current instability at the club’
Analysis by Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Elias Burke
As club captain and Tottenham’s most accomplished and decorated player, Romero appearing to speak out against the club’s board after yesterday’s stoppage-time 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth speaks to the current instability at the club.
Romero’s mention of “other people”, outside the playing group and head coach, may refer to Vinai Venkatesham, the club’s CEO, Johan Lange and Fabio Paratici, the co-sporting directors, non-executive chairman Peter Charrington, and/or the Lewis Family.
Since Ruben Amorim’s departure as head coach at Manchester United, there has been a heightened interest in English football regarding the non-public nature of club boardrooms, and this is an example of frustration building within a Premier League dressing room.
Romero was appointed as club captain by Frank in the summer, following Son Heung-min’s departure for Major League Soccer side LAFC. In the aftermath of the defeat at the Vitality Stadium, several of his team-mates, including defenders Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro, were confronted by frustrated fans in the away end.